Lock arrangement for a door of a motor vehicle

ABSTRACT

A lock of a door of a motor vehicle is unlocked by operation of an actuating handle located an the inner side of the door and at a distance from the lock, the actuating handle being connected by a linkage to the lock. The linkage is of the parallelogram type and includes a two armed lever connected to the actuating lever and a second two-armed lever arranged in the region of the lock, the arms of these levers being interconnected by two mutually parallel rods.

United States Patent 1 1 Andres [451 Apr. 24,1973

1 1 LOCK ARRANGEMENT FOR A DOOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE [75] Inventor: Rudolf Andres, Sindelfingen, Germany [73] Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft,

Stuttgart, Unte'rturkheim, Germany 22 Filed: Mar. 25, 1971 [21 Appl No.: 128,034

2,450,357 Roethel ..292/48 X 2,146,700 2/1939 Peterson ..292/48 1,006,121 1 10/191 1 Hermon ..292/36 1,964,066 6/1934 Kuszmaul ..292/l67 X 3,104.902 9/1963 Jaster ..292/36 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT A lock of a door of a motor vehicle is unlocked by operation of an actuating handle located an the inner side of the door and at a distance from the lock, the actuating handle being connected by a linkage to the lock. The linkage is of the parallelogram type and includes a two armed lever connected to the actuating lever and a second two-armed lever arranged in the region of the lock, the arms of these levers being interconnected by two mutually parallel rods.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Patented April24, 1973 FIG. 2.

LOCK ARRANGEMENT FOR A DOOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In conventional arrangements, the actuating handle is arranged at the inner side of the door at a distance from the lock, and upon actuation produces movement of a linkage element which in turn pivots a lever connected by linkage means to another lever arranged in the vicinity of the lock.

The linkage means in the devices of the above kind are usually constructed as a pull rod or a push rod.,This has the drawback that tensile or compressive forces acting on the rod from an impact can unintentionally open the door lock. For instance, if passengers are thrown against the door as a result of a collision, the inner door panel and the linkage means are bent out wardly. A tensile force acts upon the joints of the linkage and as a result the door lock is unlocked if a tension-actuated pull rod is used, In a similar manner, unintentional unlocking results if the door is subject to a force acting from outside. and in a direction transverse to the vehicle.

A linkage means with a push rod would not unlock the door lock in the above mentioned cases. However, an unintentional unlocking occurs if the door is compressed in its longitudinal direction.

It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement in which an unintentional unlocking of the door lock is avoided in a collision which involves the door.

This object is solved according to the invention, in that both the lever connected to the actuating handle, and the lever arranged in the region of the lock, are constructed as two-armed levers and the lever arms of these levers are interconnected by means of two mutually parallel rods. These rods move in opposite directions when the lock is unlocked.

With the simple means according to the invention, in case of an impact, which in many cases involves the doors of a motor vehicle, the two rods-are equally stressed, and the door lock is not actuated in the direction of unlocking. If, for instance, tensile forces act upon one of the rods tending to pivot the two armed levers and open the lock, tensile forces of the same magnitude simultaneously act upon the other rod and these forces cancel each other on the two-armed levers, so that no unintentional movement of the linkage can occur.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the twoarmed levers form a parallelogram linkage with the interconnecting rods. Furthermore, both rods can be bent at their ends so as to be arranged close to each other for the greater part of their total length, so that the applied forces influence both rods in the same manner.

The actuating handle and the corresponding twoarmed lever are attached to a base plate which is more rigid than the sheet metal of the door to which the base plate is attached. As a result, the distance between the actuating handle and the two-armed lever does not change in case of an impact, so as to minimize the likelihood of producing an actuating force in the rods because of deformation of the linkage between the actuating handle and the two-armed lever. This minimizes opening of the door lock in the event ofa collision.

In order to be able to compensate easily for any differences in the lengths of the rods, the mounting of the two-armed lever cooperating with the actuating handle on the base plate is made in such a manner that the lever can be adjusted on the base plate in the longitudinal direction of the rods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a side elevational view, broken in length ofa lock arrangement in a door ofa motor vehicle; and

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Referring to the drawing, therein is shown a door 1 of a' motor vehicle in chain-dotted outline, and mounted in the door is a conventional lock 2 which can be unlocked by-an actuating lever 4 at the inner side of the door 1. The lever 4 is pivotably supported on a rigid base plate 5, firmly attached to the sheet metalof the door, such that when the lever is moved in the direction of arrow 6 in FIG. I, a connecting rod 7 is displaced and acts on a linkage L to act on the lock 2 in a direction to unlock the same.

The linkage L between the rod 7 and lock 2 comprises two identical levers 8 and 9 and two parallel, adjacent rods 10, 11 connecting the levers 8 and 9 to form a parallelogram linkage therewith.

The levers 8 and 9 have intermediate pivot points and two arms extending in opposite directions from each pivot point and are hereafter referred to as twoarmed levers. The two-armed lever 8 is mounted on the base plate and the two-armed lever 9 is mounted on lock 2. The rods 10 and 11 are connected to opposite arms of the levers 8 and 9 and accordingly will undergo axial movement in opposite directions when the handle is actuated to open the lock. Should either rod be blocked from movement, or should both rods be urged in the same direction as for example in a collision, the 1 lock 2 will not be unlocked. In order to insure that both rods 10, 11 will be subject to the same influence in the event of a collision, the rods are bent at their ends as shown in FIG. 2 so'that they are close together for the greater part of their length. If, due to an impact on the door, the rods 10 and 11 are bent, the same stresses occur in both rods and thus no pivotal movement of the two-armed levers 8 and 9 will take place and the lock 2 remains locked.

The connecting rod 7 attached to handle 4 is connected to arm 12 of lever 8 at the same point that rod 10 is connected to lever 8. Rod 10 is connected to arm 13 of lever 9. The rod 11 is attached to arm 14 of lever 8 and to arm 15 oflever 9.

In order to compensate for any differences in length between rods 10 and 11, the lever 8 is supported on base plate 5 in a slot therein so as to be adjustable in longitudinal direction of rods 10 and 11.

In order to avoid any change in distance between the support of lever 8 and the support of handle 4 in the event of a collision, the base plate is of relatively rigid construction.

What is claimed is:

1. A lock arrangement for a door of a motor vehicle comprising a lock, an actuating handle remote. from the lock for unlocking the same, and linkage means coupling said actuating handle and said lock for unlocking the lock upon actuation of the actuating handle, said linkage means including a pair of adjacent parallel rods extending between the lock and actuating handle to transmit actuation from the handle to said lock by undergoing axial movement in opposite directions, and first and second levers having intermediate pivot points and two arms extending from each pivot point, said rods being connected to each lever at respective arms thereof to constitute a parallelogram linkage, said actuating handle being operatively connected to one of the arms of one of said levers, said lock being operatively connected to one of the arms of the other of said levers, each of said rods including bend portions at the ends thereof proximate the location where the rods are joined to said levers so that the rods extend closer together forthe greater part of their length as compared to the distance between the rods where they are joined to said levers.

2. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 9 comprising a rigid plate supporting said actuating handle and the arm to which said handle is operatively coupled.

3. A lock arrangement asclaim 2 wherein said actuating handle is pivotably connected to said rigid plate.

4. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 3 comprising a connecting rod joining said actuating handle and said arm to which it is operatively coupled.

5. A lo'ck arrangement for a door of a motor vehicle comprising a lock, an actuating handle remote from the lock for unlocking the same, linkage means coupling said actuating handle and said lock for unlocking the lock uponactuation of the actuating handle, said linkage means including a pair of adjacent parallel rods extending between the lock and actuating handle to transmit actuation from the handle to said lock by undergoing axial movement in opposite directions, and first and second levers having intermediate pivot points and two arms extending from each pivot point, said rods being connected to each lever at respective arms thereof, said actuating handle being operatively connected to one of the arms of one of said levers, said lock being operatively connected to one of the arms of the other of said levers, a rigid plate supporting said actuating handle and the arm to which said handle is operatively coupled, and means supporting said arm which is opera tively coupled to said actuating handle, from said rigid plate for adjustment in the longitudinal direction of the rods.

6. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein said levers and said rods constitute a parallelogram linkage.

7. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein said actuating handle is pivotably connected to said rigid plate.

8. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 6 comprising a connecting rod joining said actuating handle and said arm to which it is operatively coupled. 

1. A lock arrangement for a door of a motor vehicle comprising a lock, an actuating handle remote from the lock for unlocking the same, and linkage means coupling said actuating handle and said lock for unlocking the lock upon actuation of the actuating handle, said linkage means including a pair of adjacent parallel rods extending between the lock and actuating handle to transmit actuation from the handle to said lock by undergoing axial movement in opposite directions, and first and second levers having intermediate pivot points and two arms extending from each pivot point, said rods being connected to each lever at respective Arms thereof to constitute a parallelogram linkage, said actuating handle being operatively connected to one of the arms of one of said levers, said lock being operatively connected to one of the arms of the other of said levers, each of said rods including bend portions at the ends thereof proximate the location where the rods are joined to said levers so that the rods extend closer together for the greater part of their length as compared to the distance between the rods where they are joined to said levers.
 2. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 1 comprising a rigid plate supporting said actuating handle and the arm to which said handle is operatively coupled.
 3. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 2 wherein said actuating handle is pivotably connected to said rigid plate.
 4. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 3 comprising a connecting rod joining said actuating handle and said arm to which it is operatively coupled.
 5. A lock arrangement for a door of a motor vehicle comprising a lock, an actuating handle remote from the lock for unlocking the same, linkage means coupling said actuating handle and said lock for unlocking the lock upon actuation of the actuating handle, said linkage means including a pair of adjacent parallel rods extending between the lock and actuating handle to transmit actuation from the handle to said lock by undergoing axial movement in opposite directions, and first and second levers having intermediate pivot points and two arms extending from each pivot point, said rods being connected to each lever at respective arms thereof, said actuating handle being operatively connected to one of the arms of one of said levers, said lock being operatively connected to one of the arms of the other of said levers, a rigid plate supporting said actuating handle and the arm to which said handle is operatively coupled, and means supporting said arm which is operatively coupled to said actuating handle, from said rigid plate for adjustment in the longitudinal direction of the rods.
 6. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein said levers and said rods constitute a parallelogram linkage.
 7. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein said actuating handle is pivotably connected to said rigid plate.
 8. A lock arrangement as claimed in claim 6 comprising a connecting rod joining said actuating handle and said arm to which it is operatively coupled. 